Watch the World Burn
by DeliaX713
Summary: Bane finds his most loyal men in the Pit. He saves them from the dark hopelessness, and they follow him everywhere. He goes out in search of more men to help him liberate Gotham; however, he saves a young orphaned girl instead. This is set in the events before, and during, the Dark Knight Rises. BaneXOC
1. Chapter 1

"Get you're filthy hands off of me!" I screamed, struggling to push off the two guards whose wandering hands were leading me across the dry, cracked land of India. The rusted shackles around my wrists cut and chaffed the skin. Blood was starting to drip down my hands to my fingertips, falling like red raindrops onto the parched ground. Up ahead, there was what looked like a well coming out of the ground. I knew what this place was, I had heard rumors about it; this Hell on Earth. A place where every hope and wish you have ever held dear is broken, until you are nothing more than an animal, waiting for the next meal of the day.

"Hurry up, little girl" One of the guards whispered in my ear, giving me a rough push. I stumbled on the cracked dirt. The heat from the unrelenting sun was making me dizzy. We approached the Pit and I shivered, looking down to the bottom where the sunlight created a circle, illuminating the men who were already broken. The prisoners with nothing left to lose.

"This is where bad little girls go," The same guard said, smiling right into my face. His breath smelled of garlic and rotten meat, and his teeth were stained yellow and brown. The other guard suddenly froze, a twisted smile crossing his face as he thought of an idea. Somehow I knew I wouldn't like this.

"No one is ever gonna care about this girl again. A poor little orphan, all alone," His voice was cruel, oily. I didn't like the way he was talking, "Think about what we could do…and not a single person would care," My heart was racing in my chest as the first guard nodded in understanding, mimicking the other's smile. He grabbed my arms, holding me tightly in place.

"No…please," I tried to struggle out of their strong grasp. I could feel dirty hands running over my body which was covered in nothing more than a few pieces of thin rags tied together. I felt so dizzy and weak. Salty tears were running down my face, probably leaving tracks from the dust that had accumulated on my skin. I had been able to fight off men stronger than them, before I was caught. Now I could barely stand on my own. I was weak. I tried to let out a scream but it was nothing more than a scared whimper.

"Just what do you two think you're doing?" The guard holding me jumped at the voice behind him. The voice sounded slightly muffled, but that didn't weaken the soft, ominous tone it held. I was spun around as the guard turned to face whoever was behind him. The other guard next to him looked terrified. I stared up at the man these two guards were so scared of, and felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as well.

He was easily six foot six, with bulging muscles that could easily tear a person apart. The man was wearing what looked like a bullet-proof, metal, vest but what wasn't what made him terrifying. No, what made him terrifying was what encased his face. Around his mouth and nose was a silver and black mask that looked like long, skeleton-like fingers protruding from his face. This was attached to a black band that wrapped all the way around his bald head so all I could see that would give away any expression was his eyes.

"B-Bane," One of the guards stammered out.

"I will repeat myself just once. Just what do you two think you are doing?" The man, Bane, asked again.

"N-nothing…Just bringing this prisoner to the pit. We hadn't realized you were going to be here," The other guard managed to get out, his voice gaining strength as he spoke. I didn't say anything, this man frightened the guards. He held power, authority, I could not know whether he was a foe or not.

"Give her to me," He demanded, gesturing one large hand to me. The guards quickly pushed me to him. I stumbled, not prepared for the sudden force but the large man caught me easily. My legs felt like soft jell-o, the man was holding up a good majority of my weight now.

"You are not worthy of being called humans. Your actions are that of nothing more than savages, cruel and unnecessary. This girl is a prisoner, not your personal plaything. Now leave my sight before I do something we will all regret," My sight was starting to swim, as I watched the two guards run.

"Come, child. I cannot apologize enough for the actions of those men," I felt myself black out as this man swept me off my feet into his arms as easily as if I was a small ragdoll.


	2. Chapter 2

Authors note: Thank you everyone for such positive feedback!

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I woke up, feeling confused. I didn't open my eyes, instead just laid on whatever I was laying on, trying to get my mind back together. It felt like my head was going to explode and my limbs felt like lead. The first thing I noticed was that I was chilly. Not cold, not frozen, but chilly; as though I was standing in front of an air conditioner. I had never had air-conditioning. The next thing I noticed was the sound. It was loud, surrounding me like a pillow of noise. It almost sounded like I was on an airplane.

I opened my eyes.

I was on an airplane.

How did I get on an airplane?

I looked around; I was lying on a small bed in an airplane. I hadn't even known that airplanes could have beds. I was in the back of the airplane as well; there was a little curtain over what I thought to be the doorway to the rest of the plane. I looked out the window by my head. There were lush, green mountains below and white clouds flying past. Looking down at my body, I saw that I was wearing the rags I had tied around myself. Around each of my wrists were strips of cloth, with what looked like blood soaking through. I tried to bend one, and hissed in pain.

Then the memories then hit my pounding head like a tidal wave. I had been caught. The heat of the sun made me weak. The guards had been taking me to the Pit. Their hands were all over me. That man…the big man with the mask. He saved me. What was going on?

"I see you are awake," The curtain was pushed aside, and the large man strode in. He was now wearing a tight black shirt that accentuated his strength, though he still had that mask across his face and I still felt absolutely terrified as I looked into his eyes. I quickly sat up, pushing myself up against the wall, trying to keep my distance with this man.

"Don't be scared, child. I saved you," His voice was unnerving. With his physique, I would have expected a low growl of a voice but instead it was articulated, well educated, slightly higher. I could also hear his breathing, though his mask, like Darth Vader.

"Tell me, small one, what is your name?"

"What's yours?" I asked, sticking my chin out defiantly. To my dismay, however, my voice sounded hoarse and weak, and speaking made my head hurt even more. The large man chuckled.

"You have a spark to you, little one. You may call me Bane," Bane? What kind of name was Bane? Was that like some gang name or something? It sounded dangerous, whatever it was.

"Now, child, tell me your name," Bane said. I noticed this time it was not a request; it was an order. Even though his voice still sounded pleasant enough, I could tell he meant business now.

"Amelle," I said, cursing my voice for being so small. Bane chuckled again, as though my name was something funny. He seemed to be in high spirits right now.

"Well, little Amelle, you are something. You are lucky I found you when I did, and then you just pass out like that!" I felt like I was being laughed at, like I was some joke Bane found amusing. I could feel my face heat up and I glowered at Bane, the pulsing in my head growing stronger.

"Who are you then? Why did you take me? Where are we going?" I asked, my voice growing stronger. Bane's eyes grew wide with what looked like false hurt and surprise. It was amazing how a man with most of his face covered could still convey such obvious expressions.

"I save you from the Pit and this is the thanks I get? Most are a little more grateful," He said, his voice mirroring his eyes. I looked away, staring back out the window at the flat, green, land below.

"You make a habit of taking girls away from their prisons then?" I questioned, still not looking at him. We passed over a small lake that broke the expanse of green. I was surprisingly calm for getting kidnapped by a strange, masked, man who saved me from being raped and thrown into prison. It was almost as though we were talking about the weather outside the airplane right now.

"Only the ones who need my help," he replied, as though the answer was obvious, "Now, enough of the small talk, little one, please allow myself to tell you what is going on. We are over Ireland right now; we had to take a small detour from India to America you see; however we are currently en route to Gotham City if all goes to plan. And I assure you, small child, all things will go to plan," I looked back over at him, but didn't say a word.

"Very well," He said, turning to leave, "I will have one of my men bring you some food. You must be very hungry after that ordeal in the desert," With that, Bane left and I was back to my thoughts.


	3. Chapter 3

Just as he had promised, one of Bane's men came in about 15 minutes later carrying a tray of food. I had never been on an airplane before, but had heard stories about "airplane food" served in tinfoil trays with hard bread and unidentifiable meat. This was not the case. The man set down the tray on a small table next to me, and left without a word. First, the food smelled amazing. I looked over and saw a plate with what looked like roasted chicken, mashed potatoes and rice. A small bowl to the side held fresh fruit and a glass was filled with plain water. I dug in immediately, never having such food before in my life. This was comparable to the meal of a king. I didn't know who this Bane was, except he seemed to have his "men" trained well and it seemed like he owned this plane.

I shoveled the food down quickly, not bothering to savor more than the first bite. As I ate, I realized how hungry I actually was. My stomach had been trying to protect me from the pain of hunger. When was the last time I had any sort of food? The guards (I shivered as I thought of them, and what their plan had been for me) hadn't fed me before I was dragged to the Pit and before that, If I was right, I hadn't found food before that in over two days. I didn't know how long I had been passed out since Bane found me, but I guessed it had been more than four days since anything other than dirty water had entered my stomach.

Once I was done, I immediately regretted eating the food so fast. My stomach was so small, from so little food all my life that it felt like it was going to burst. I had never felt that before. I laid back down on the bed, shutting my eyes. I wondered why I didn't feel more frightened about everything that was going on. I was on an airplane going to America. I had never been there before. I had been about to be thrown to the pits of Hell, when this strange man kidnapped me. Was it even kidnapping if no one was looking for me? I was alone, after all.

I thought of India, my last home before I was captured. I hadn't always lived there. I had been born in Russia, or at least I assumed I was born there. I never knew my parents, whether they didn't want me, couldn't have me, or died I didn't know. I was, however, left on a farm where an aging farmer and his wife had found me, a baby not even a full week old. They told me this story many times, as we would sit by the fire in their small house. The farmer was out tending his crops when he heard crying, from behind one of the plants. There I was, wrapped in a small rag. They named me "Amelle" because it means hope. I was their hope. They had never had children of their own.

When I was six, the Farmer's wife died peacefully in her sleep. I cared for the Farmer as I grew older. I was forced to care for him in his failing health as well as the farm, at a young age. I was forced to grow up fast.

I hadn't realized, as I laid there thinking of my only real family, tears were forming in the corners of my eyes, threatening to spill. They had been so good to me. I was their child for the first ten years, until the Farmer too passed away. The doctors had said it was a heart attack. I was still so young, physically, but mentally I had already grown up. I knew I would be forced to live with another family. I couldn't do that, so I left the farm, taking only what I could carry, and walked.

I sniffed, wiping my tears with the back of my hand. It was after that I became a monster. The Farmer and his wife, wherever they are now, are probably so disappointed in me. I did terrible things to survive.

"Is everything alright, little one?" I opened my eyes with a jump to see Bane standing at the curtain again. For such a large man, he moved very quietly. I nodded quickly, not wanting to show weakness to a man who probably does not even know the word.

"Why do you cry then?"

"I wasn't" I replied quickly. Again, Bane chuckled.

"And what is so funny about me?" I asked him harshly, glaring, trying to cover up the tears that were still threatening to spill.

"Nothing," Bane replied simply, though he still had an amused look in his eye, "Was your lunch to your satisfaction?" I nodded. My stomach was hurting less now.

"Good. You are terribly small, hopefully we can get you some strength back. If you need to wash up at all, there is a bathroom behind you with a shower. You are more than welcome to use it," I looked behind me to a door next to the bed. I hadn't even noticed it before. Bane came closer, and picked up the tray with one hand.

"If there is anything you need, ask. I am not trying to hold you prisoner here, I hope you know. It may have to wait until we land, but I can get you anything you may wish for," Bane turned, about to leave, when I spoke up.

"Could I have some clothes?" I hadn't realized until now I was still wearing the rags I had been captured in.

"My men will find something for you," Bane said, leaving through the curtain.

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Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has read, followed, favorited and/or reviewed. I love any and all critique and I would love for you to tell me whether you like how I am portraying Bane or not. I feel that he is a lot more complex of a character than a strong, evil creature. I feel that deep down (as shown by his love for Talia) he cares, and truely believes in what he is doing. I'm trying to portray the more sensitive side to him that took so much pain to help Talia escape from Hell on earth.


	4. Chapter 4

I hadn't realized how dirty I was until I got into the bathroom. I stripped from the rags that kept me decent, and stared at my naked form in the polished mirror. Streaks of dirt ran down my face, and the rest of my body was coated with a generous layer of it. There was grime under my ragged fingernails and my hair was knotted and dirty beyond belief. I was also incredibly thin; my ribs were sticking out creating a sharp angle where my stomach went in. My arms and legs showed a hint of the strength I could possess when called upon, but my joints stuck out at my elbows and knees, covered with nothing more than skin. My face was also thin, and though I had darker skin (it was believed my parents were of Indian descent) it could not hide the pallor from lack of nutrition. My wrists were perhaps worse of all. I untied the cloths around each of them, letting the bloody strips fall to the floor and gasped. Both my wrists were black and blue from the shackles, and the layer of skin that had been under my cuffs was gone; instead, cracked scabs covered each in a little ring, like two macabre bracelets.

I turned to face the shower. Rarely had I ever gotten a chance to use one. Only when I was on the run and I…I shook my head, trying not to think of the deeds I did that led to my capture. The Farmer had not had running water either, we washed in a large metal tub. But here, especially for an airplane, this shower was magnificent. I turned the knob under the shower head, and water sprayed out, already warm. I stepped into the shower carefully. Bane had already put in feminine looking shampoo, conditioner and body gel and I got to work trying to clean off as much dirt as I could.

I couldn't help but think about how kind Bane was being to me. I wasn't being treated like a prisoner here (granted we were thousands of feet up in the air so it wasn't like escape was an option) but he was treating me more like a guest who he had been expecting. He was being…hospitable, that was the word.

I rinsed out the shampoo of my hair, using my fingers to try to untangle as many knots as I could. The water that was running into the drain was brown.

The one bad thing about showers is it is a place to think. My mind began to wander back to before I was caught; the long journey of walking and hitchhiking up from Russia all the way down to India. It had been dangerous, but no one really cared about a little girl like me; no money, no parents, no worth to anyone. I stole when I had to, and worked for food and shelter when I could. Every day, I remember, passing by new faces, looking into each one with hope that I would see some semblance to myself in the eyes, or the nose, or the way the mouth turned up when it smiled. After the Farmer died I gained renewed, though childish, faith that my birth parents were still out there somewhere. As I walked, I looked for them in everyone but to no avail. Perhaps I did pass by them, but every face I looked into did not awaken some long dormant child's instinct of knowing who their mother was without question. I think that was why I made it down to India. The Farmer and his wife believed I was of Indian descent. I had hoped to find someone down there who would look at me and say, "You look just like _ you could be her daughter," and I would be reunited with my birth mother that way.

"Amelle?" I heard Bane call out from the other side of the door to the bathroom.

"What?" I asked back, my thoughts broken by the sound of his voice.

"I have some clothes that I believe will fit. I will leave them out here for you. No one will come back here until you are dressed. We will be landing in Gotham City Airport in a few hours,"

"Thank you," I said. I truly meant it. This man, whoever he is, was being more than kind to me.

I finished showering, regretfully turning off the warm water, and grabbing a towel that was by the shower. Looking back in the mirror, I realized both how much better and how much worse I looked. Without the dirt, it was easier to first look at how unhealthily thin I was and see all the bruises and scars that marked my skin. My wrists also looked a lot worse. It had hurt to move my wrists in the shower, but the hot water had made it easier. Now, the scabs that covered each wrist were bleeding again which mixed with the water still coating my body. I took the dirty bandages and tried as best I could to rebandage my wounds myself, at least until I could find fresh ones so I wouldn't get blood anywhere.

I dried off, trying to ignore the throbbing of my wrists as I squeezed all the water out of my dark hair. It had been so knotted before that it had lost so much length. I hadn't realized it was actually down to my back. Once I was done, I wrapped the towel around my body, and slowly opened the door. No one was outside the door. I found the pile of clothes by the bed and held them out, to see what I had gotten. A pair of jeans that looked like they would fit me fairly well, a tee-shirt that looked like it would be far too big, and women's panties and a bra. I blushed slightly at the thought of Bane touching the last two clothes but quickly donned them, and then the jeans and shirt.


	5. Chapter 5

"Excuse me?" I slowly opened the curtain to see another part of the plane. It was larger here, with couches and seats for the men on board. Bane was sitting on the couch alone, however, reading a newspaper. He looked up at my voice.

"Those will have to do for now," He said, looking at my clothes, "We will get you better clothes once we land,"

"Thank you…" I said quietly, "But, can I please have new bandages for my wrists? They're bleeding again," I held my wrist to show him the loosely tied cloth that encased it. Bane got up at once, opening a cabinet across the body of the plane, and pulled out a white box with a large red X on it. From within it he retrieved soft looking cloth, a pair of scissors, and some tape.

"Come over here, little one," He said and I hesitantly walked over. As I got closer, I realized just how large he really was, especially compared to me. The top of my head barely made it to his large chest, made larger by the fact he was wearing that vest again. He first took my left wrist and carefully untied the dirty bandages, tossing them to the side. Next, he took a cotton pad, and doused it with some liquid.

"This may sting a little," He said, before wiping it over the scabs. "A little" was an understatement. I bit my lip as Bane continued to clean my wounds, trying not to scream out in pain. It felt like he had stuck a white-hot piece of metal on top of my scabs.

"You're okay," Bane said, taking the soft cloth and wrapping it around my wrist. He wrapped around until I could barely move it, then taped it off with white tape. I took a deep breath as Bane soaked up another cotton pad in whatever liquid that was. This time, I had prepared myself a little better and the pain wasn't as much of a surprise. He again wrapped around my wrists, securing the cloth with some tape.

"There you go, child," Bane said, looking down at me, "Is there anything else you need?" I shook my head. The way Bane looked at me made me frightened. It was almost as though he could see right into my soul.

"Come, sit with me," He said suddenly, as I looked away from his face. I followed, sitting at the other end of the couch while he opened up his newspaper again.

"Would you like anything to read? I've found that when things become impossible to understand, reading helps to clear the mind," Bane said, not looking up from his newspaper. I shook my head.

"I never learned to read," I confessed. When you are on the run as much as I was, reading is the last on thing on your mind and the Farmer had never been educated himself. He could read enough to know about different crops and the seasons and weather but that was it.

"Never learned to read? Well that is another thing we must do when we get to Gotham. Which should be very soon," Suddenly, a man came running back to this section of the plane looking worried.

"Sir! It's Pavlov…He managed to get free. He got one of the guns" Bane looked over at him, uninterested, "Sir! He is threatening to shoot out this entire plane,"

"Well then, get the gun from him," Bane said simply, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. Gun? Free? Who was Pavlov? It sounded like a very Russian last name.

"What's going on?" I asked feeling worried.

"Oh, nothing to worry yourself with. A lot happened while you were asleep. Please just stay here for now" Bane stood up, and left me to follow the panicked young man to the front of the plane. I stayed where I was. Somehow I knew that disobeying Bane would be a very bad idea.

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Authors Note: I've got the next chapter written on my computer but I'm in Boston for the day so it will be tonight before the next chapter is up. Thank you to everyone who has been reading, reviewing, following and favoriting! Continue to tell me how I'm doing :)


	6. Chapter 6

When Bane returned, we were almost ready to land. I spent much of the rest of the flight staring out the window. It's astounding how boring the ocean can become after spending over five hours staring at it from the sky. It was just a constant…well, sea, of blue. The flying itself also lost it's novelty by the time the plane reached America. I felt so confined. After spending years being able to go wherever I wanted whenever I wanted, this felt suffocating; a luxurious captivity.

"I do apologize for that," Bane said, coming back through the curtain to the front of the plane. I didn't turn around from where I was staring out of the window, feeling excitement growing in the pit of my stomach. We were over America, the land of opportunity.

"Welcome to America, little one. We should be landing in another hour," He stepped up behind me, staring out the window with me. I felt myself automatically tense up. Bane was quite large and scary, and his breathing was right in my ear which was quite unnerving. He was also now wearing what appeared to be a large, sheepskin coat with the collar turned up, over his vest. As soft as the jacket itself was, it did not do anything to make him appear any less frightening.

"What's Gotham like?" I asked, side-stepping away from Bane. He chuckled.

"Gotham is the heart of America. It is full of crime, corruption and poverty," I felt let down by his answer. That was not how I pictured America, or Gotham. I imagined shining buildings, stretching up to the sky, everyone driving nice cars, smiling at each other. That was how the Farmer explained America to me. He had wanted to take his wife there, once he made enough money. He never did.

"Then why are we going there?" I asked, "What are you even doing? Why do you have 'men' like some mob boss? Is that what you are?" I took a step back. Bane had suddenly gotten a look in his eye and I knew it was not a good one.

"I am Gotham's liberation," He said dangerously softly.

"What-what does that mean?" My voice cracked a little. He had suddenly gone from a caring host, to a frightening monster. I took another step back.

"You will find out, when we get there. For now, however, enjoy the rest of the flight," Bane said, turning around and striding to a chair on the other side of the plane. He sat down, elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. And he did not move, at all. If it wasn't for his breathing I would have thought he was a statue.

I watched him, scared and curious. This was so unexpected, I must have hit a nerve. It was amazing how he could suddenly turn from the man who had saved me, to a dangerous monster. I had seen a new side to him.

Soon, however, we were getting ready to land. I sat back down on the couch. We were over the city now; out the window I could see the tall buildings the farmer told me about. It looked so perfect from far away, I couldn't imagine a place like that filled with such corruption and crime like Bane told me.

We flew over the city. I had imagined that we were going to a large airport, with many planes coming and going and many people talking in different languages. But no, instead we flew away from the city, to the outskirts where large fields and farms were. I wanted to ask Bane what we were doing, as we headed down, but he was still unmoving, his eyes fixed on some point on the floor. We were going to land in a very large field, I could see it up ahead. We were getting lower and lower to it. That was when Bane stood up, so suddenly that even from the other side of the plane I jumped a little.

"I will come get you once we land. Before that, stay here," He said, once again leaving through the curtain to the front of the plane. He sounded cold, like a forced calm. I let him go without saying a word. I did not want to make him any more upset than he already, clearly, was.

We landed without a hitch, bouncing along the field until we slowed to a stop. I sat patiently on the couch, wondering what was going on in front. I really wanted to get off the plane, step foot on America, but I waited until finally he came back.

"Are you ready?" He asked.

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Authors Note: A big special thanks to XxLostInTheMusicxX for taking the time to write me a private message about my story! And a big thank you to everyone who has been reviewing, following and favoriting! Please keep it up and I should get another two chapters or so out tomorrow


	7. Chapter 7

I finally got to see the front of the plane, and it looked nothing like the back. While the back of it was decorated, with a fine leather couch, soft rug on the floor and things to entertain oneself with, this looked like something from the military. It was not soft and cushy. There were metal seats in the center, with sturdy looking seatbelts. Around the edge were crates marked "Danger-explosives" held down with bungee cords. Along the walls were guns and other weapons, some missing, some not. There was one man, in a camouflage military outfit, holding a gun by the door. He nodded to Bane as we walked past, out to the field. Again, I had to ask myself 'who is this man?'

All of the rest of Bane's "men" were out in the field. All of them in heavy duty military uniforms, carrying large guns. I felt my pulse quicken, they looked like they meant business. They stepped out of the way as Bane led me to a large truck on the edge of the field. He easily opened the back, to reveal a row of wooden benches around the entire edge of the inside of the truck. As though it was no effort at all, he jumped into the truck. I looked at it helplessly. It was a long jump for someone as small as me.

"Here, little one," Bane said, I was relieved to hear him sounding relatively normal again, once again like a cordial host. He lifted me up as easily as if I was a small child and gently set me down inside. His men followed behind, jumping inside and taking their seats. Bane took a seat, and I, next to him. The last man got in, shutting the large door down with a slam. A dim orange light broke through the sudden darkness, allowing my eyes to adjust from the mid-afternoon sun to the black.

"It's still a bit of a ride to where we are staying," Bane said, as the truck rumbled to life. I nodded, staring at all the men who all stared straight ahead. Bane seemed to have all of them trained very well, and I could tell they would all die for him in a heartbeat.

I don't know how long the drive was, a few minutes in I realized how tired I was and the next thing I knew, my eyes were opening back up as I felt myself get picked up into the arms of Bane. His jacket was so soft around me that I didn't mind. I kept my eyes shut, burying my head into Bane's very large chest, the coat softening the metal of his vest.

We walked, or rather he walked, for about a minute before I noticed the smell. It literally smelled like shit. I tried to breathe in the scent of Bane's coat but it was a bit overwhelming. Where were we? After the smell, I noticed the noise. It was very noisy, like a waterfall crashing down or something. I opened my eyes, looking up at Bane and then over to wherever we were going. We actually were in the sewers. I looked back up at Bane, giving him a very confused look. He didn't say anything.

We made our way down one more tunnel, and came upon a large cavern in the sewers. I was right, there was in fact a waterfall crashing down the middle of this place, with men working all around it, on ropes and pulleys up high.

"Who is that?" I heard an angry female voice demand.


	8. Chapter 8

I was laying on a bed of grey sheets and a thin blanket, listening to their arguing. It seemed like Bane's little girlfriend, Talia, didn't know I was coming and what she didn't understand was that I had literally had no say in this whole ordeal. First I was in India, about to be imprisoned and the next thing I know I'm on an airplane going to America.

"Why did you have to bring home some little pet?" She hissed, as though pretending I couldn't hear. Bane growled at her, softly.

"Amelle is not some pet. She has no one. I found her about to be raped by two prison guards before being thrown _there_." Talia snarled at his words. She may have been about half his size, but right now she was just as frightening as he. I stared at them, laying on my side. She was beautiful, Talia, I could tell why Bane liked her. She had spark, but now she was a raging fire.

"Oh right! I forgot now, you always have to find some poor, little girl in your stupid Pit to save!" Her thick middle eastern accent was showing as her voice got louder and louder with every word. I felt guilty, even though I knew this wasn't my fault. Bane had picked me up after all.

"Talia, my friend…" Bane said, "Let us discuss this later," She didn't say a word, instead stormed off from the way we came. Bane's men were watching the scene with interest, stopping their work to listen in to the happy couples spat.

"Get back to work!" Bane roared, scaring every man in there back into whatever it was they were doing. I jumped at his ferocity. He ignored me, instead sitting at the chair in front of the many monitors that recorded Gotham City.

I laid back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. It was beginning to hit me, the magnitude of everything that has happened. Up until now, I had just sort of gone along with everything (it's not like I really had a choice though). Less than a day ago, I had been in India trying to survive the only way I knew how but now I was laying in the sewers of Gotham, America. And this man, Bane, had not told me a thing about himself. He clearly was not a "good" guy. No good guy had to live in the sewers, land planes in fields, and own so many weapons. I just didn't know what kind of "bad guy" he was. Had he killed before? I didn't know why I was so worried by this thought. It wasn't like I was a saint. When I had been on my own, I did what I had to do in order to survive. Suddenly, I wanted nothing more than to be back in the heat of India. No, I wanted nothing more than to be in the little house the Farmer built on his farm. I wanted to be small again, the Farmer's wife holding me in a soft blanket in front of the fire on a cold Russian winter. I just wanted to be comforted by someone, have anyone tell me it would all be alright. I hadn't had that in a long time.

I had to get out of here.

"B-Bane?" I said quietly. He was in another one of those statue moments, completely unmoving. His head snapped up.

"W-where is the bathroom?"

"We are in the sewers," He said, as though it were the most obvious thing on earth, "But if you go out that way, take a left, then a right, it will be right there," I nodded and he resumed staring at the ground, once again frozen. I slowly backed away, going out of the main area where we were, and took off. I didn't know where I was going, since my eyes had been shut when I entered but I hoped that I would eventually get out of here. I ran up and down sewer lines until eventually I saw one, a ladder leading up. I stopped, breathing heavily. The little food, paired with the adrenaline, was making me feel a little dizzy. I placed a foot on the bottom rung, and began to climb up until I reached the cover and then pushed. The cover to the sewer was heavy, very very heavy, but eventually I managed to push it aside enough so I could get out. That was when I heard the angry yell. Bane must have realized I hadn't gone to the bathroom.

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Authors Note: Can I just say how absolutely astounded I am by all the positive feedback I'm getting from this story? It's amazing to have so many people favoriting and following and to those of you who have reviewed, thank you! Every time I go look to see how many people have read this and the number has gone up even more, it makes me feel so humbled and grateful that you all like my little story.


	9. Chapter 9

I was surprised to see it was dark when I got out of the sewers. I suppose that was better though, less people to see me come out of the little hole in the ground. I didn't bother to cover up my escape, the cover was so heavy, so I just ran.

I was in what looked like a dingy part of the city. Run down buildings, weeds crawling up their brick sides, missing roof shingles, it looked so broken. I slipped in between a couple alleyways. The worst part about running like this is I had no idea where I was running to, or if I was running away from my pursuers. They could be anywhere, but I just ran.

Eventually, I ran enough where I was no longer in the run down side of town. Broken buildings covered with graffiti had been replaced with shining, mirror faced skyscrapers that touched the sky. I stopped in front of one of the tallest ones, staring straight up to the very top of it. It was absolutely breathtaking, and for a moment, I forgot what I was doing as I stared at the amazing sight. How I wished I was able to read the sign on the front of it, the letters W-A-Y-N-E were brightly lit up.

"I see you like my building," I jumped around. The street had been relatively quiet, it must have been very late, and this man's voice seemed unusually loud. This man was very well dressed, in a nice suit, though leaning on a cane. He looked fairly young, so the cane seemed out of place as something a person would usually expect someone older to use.

"Your building?" I asked, in disbelief. Only in America could a man own an entire building, whereas in India you were wealthy if you owned a small house. He nodded, smiling, though with a slight look of surprise on his face.

"I'm Bruce Wayne. That's my family's last name up on the top of that building, right there," He used his cane to point to the letters I had been unable to figure out before, "Surely you must have heard about me before? Famous billionaire playboy? No?" Bruce didn't seem disheartened as I shook my head, feeling more and more confused by what he was saying, on the contrary he seemed almost excited I had never heard of his name before.

"I'm not from around here you see," I said quietly, "I'm from India. B-" I stopped short. Bane probably would not want others to hear about him. The way he lived in acted, as though in secret, made it pretty clear.

"India? That's so fascinating," He sounded sincere, like there was nothing more he wanted to do than stand outside late at night and talk to a strange girl he just met who was from India.

"You look like you could use a place to stay; no one with a home wanders around Gotham so late at night. Do you have any family here, anyone looking for you? If not, why don't you come to my place, at least for tonight?" I frowned. Yes there was someone looking for me, but I didn't want to go there, not yet.

"What are you doing then, wandering around so late at night?" I asked defensively. I had learned, from my own practices, to be wary of well dressed strangers. They often have the most to hide behind all of their fancy clothes.

"I was working. Now, will you please come to my house for the night? I insist. The streets are no place for such a young girl such as yourself at night," He looked so sincere, a large smile on his face, that I couldn't help but nod. His smile got even larger.

"Excellent! Alfred should be here any minute with th-" He was cut short as someone came speeding down the road, stopping short just in front of us. The drivers door opened and an elderly looking man came out.

"Good evening Master Wayne," He said, in a thick English accent, before noticing me standing there, "And who might this lovely girl be?"

"I'm Amelle I-"

"She just moved here from India with no place to stay. I told her she should stay at my house for tonight. It's much safer than wandering around the streets of Gotham at 1 AM," Bruce cut in, giving me a smile.

"Very good sir," The man said, opening the car door in the back. Bruce slid in, motioning for me to sit next to him. I did so. This was a nice car; shiny, with leather seats, "My name is Alfred, Miss," The man told me, looking back at me in the mirror. He seemed kind enough.

"So how old are you, Amelle?" Bruce asked, facing me.

"I'm 16," I replied, staring out the window uncomfortably. Bruce seemed nice, though a little too curious for my liking. Bane hadn't asked any questions, of course he hadn't expected any in return.

"Where are your parents then? Back in-"

"I'm an orphan," I cut in quickly. I saw Bruce give Alfred a look, but didn't ask about it. After that, thankfully, Bruce stayed silent. We drove for about fifteen minutes, up one road, down another before coming up to a long driveway. At the end, I could see an illuminated house. And by house, I meant castle. Bruce lived here?

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Authors Note: Okay I'm not a fan of this chapter but I needed to get something out. Next one will be better, I promise. On that note however, where do you guys want me to take this? I honestly don't have a plan, I'm going to write this thing as far as I can (hopefully to Bane's eventual death) but it can go so many different paths along the way. Any input from you guys would be awesome! Thank you to everyone who keep on reviewing and following and favoriting! You all rock xx


	10. Chapter 10

"And this is your room," Bruce said, showing me to a large, well decorated room with a soft bed. This was almost the exact opposite from where I was with Bane, in the sewers sleeping on small grey cots.

"Thank you," I said quietly. Bruce smiled at me.

"It's no trouble. I'm sorry for your parents though. My parents are also gone. I've been on my own since I was nine," I looked at him in surprise. An orphan could own all this?

"I never knew them. I lived with a kind farmer until I was ten though. That was the closest thing I ever had to a real family," Bruce nodded, sympathetically.

"It's just been me and Alfred. Well, I will leave you for the night. Alfred will wake you up tomorrow for breakfast. Goodnight, Amelle," He turned and limped away, leaning heavily on his cane. Before he shut the door he paused, and smiled back at me once more before closing it with a snap.

I flopped down on the bed, sinking into it. It was literally the most comfortable thing I had ever laid on, like sleeping on a cloud. What was Bane doing now? Was he looking for me? I suddenly felt guilty. I had just left him just like that, after he had been so nice to me, but I had needed to get out of there. There had been too many people, too much going on, too much animosity from Talia. Besides, isn't there that old expression "It is better to seek forgiveness than ask for permission?" of course I didn't think Bane would be very forgiving. I got off the bed, and went to go look out the window. I felt restless. The moon was full, and I had a perfect view of the city. It glowed from the white light. Was Bane down there right now? No. He would probably have sent "his men" out to find me, with their big guns and stony expressions.

There was a knock on the door, and Alfred came in.

"Hello Miss. The Master wanted me to bring you these. He says they might fit better than those oversized clothes," Alfred held up a small pile of different clothes. Bane had said he would get me new clothes.

"Thank you, Alfred," I said softly. He set them down on top of the bureau across from the bed.

"Goodnight Miss," He said, before shutting the door again. Why did I feel so guilty about leaving Bane? He was the one to take me away from everything in India. I had no say in the matter. He should have expected I would want to run away. For the matter, I didn't even really mean to run away. I wanted to go out and get some fresh air, get away for a bit then come back and face whatever would happen to me. Bruce Wayne had to come and insist that I go live with him here, at this house. It wasn't my fault.

I went over to where Alfred had set the clothes down and picked up what was on top of the pile. A pair of soft pajama shorts, and underneath that was a matching tank-top. Under that was what looked like a knee length blue dress, and some more women's undergarments. I slid out of the oversized tee-shirt and jeans Bane had found for me on the plane and into the tank-top and shorts. I looked at the tee-shirt and suddenly I realized why it was so large. It was Bane's tee-shirt. He had given me his tee-shirt. Feeling even more guilty, I put it back on over the pajamas. In some strange way, I felt homesick. I didn't know homesick from where though.

I curled up on the bed, covering myself in plush blankets. I missed India, I missed Bane, I missed Russia, I missed the Farmer. I felt strange here. I have never had anything even close to this here; the bed with the canopy over it, silky pajamas, a butler. I felt homesick but not for a place, I just wanted to be away from here.


	11. Chapter 11

_I look beautiful, I thought to myself, staring at my reflection in the mirror. Not just beautiful, but desirable. The form-fitting dress was clinging where it was supposed to, and hiding what needed to be hidden. Someone would be missing this dress, with it's soft midnight blue silk and careful construction. I pushed back a strand of my hair, I had managed to pin it up with relative ease, hiding all the knots in it. It was only during this that I made any effort to look good. _

_I could hear him coming back, the nameless man that I had sought out tonight. He was handsome enough, and his wife was away for the afternoon, enough time to get this over with. He stepped through the doorway, giving me a smile I knew was forced. Without hesitation, however, he went in for a kiss. I had no say in this, he was in control…or so he thought. I could feel the small knife hidden between my breasts. This had to end quickly or else he would find what I was hiding. _

_My lips did their own thing as he continued to kiss me roughly. My hand traveled up his chest. It was all part of the act, really. I didn't want to do this. I grabbed the knife from down my chest, and before he had time to react, it was in his throat. I looked down at him, watching blood come out of the side of his neck. I had learned that was where the most blood came out; a quicker death. Then I turned away, wiping the blood off the knife and onto the dress. It was beautiful while it lasted._

I woke up with a gasp. I could still see one of the men I had killed in my mind. The way he looked up to me as his last breath was taken. My hair was sticking to my face and neck and I quickly pushed away all of the plush blankets. I hated what I had done, I felt sick every time I thought of what I did to survive. I wiped away the tears that had fallen down my cheeks. I had tried to rationalize my actions, make it sound better than it actually was.

"_He was cheating on his wife anyway"_

"_They have so much that they don't need"_

"_I have to survive too,"_

The truth was that I was a murderer. I was a monster.

After I had left the farm, when the Farmer and his wife had died, I tried to survive. I would work for people for a place to stay and some food to eat. I would make clothes out of old rags, and take what people no longer needed. But no one would trust a poor little orphan. Eventually, I had to resort to more drastic methods.

My breathing began to even out as my heart rate slowed down. I felt sick though, and curled up on my side, clutching my stomach. The moon was shining right into the window. There were shadows on the ground from the bed and the bureau; they made strange shapes like ghosts. I swallowed hard, trying to calm my stomach. Again, I felt an emptiness inside me as I missed my home-whatever home that may be.

Some of the nausea began to go away. My slowly stretched out. When no more nausea assaulted my stomach, I sat up, and took a few deeper breaths. I could still see that look he gave me, that nameless man I had killed; just one of many.

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Authors Note: Short I know, but I wanted to get out what Amelle did when she was on her own. I'm having trouble getting past a bad bit of writers block but I'm trying to fight it. Please bear with me! Thank you to everyone who is continuing to offer me support through reviews, follows and favorites! I love you all


	12. Chapter 12

I don't think I fell asleep again that night. The moon ran it's course over the sky, shifting the shadows on the ground. I didn't want to dream again, see that man's face in my mind. I remained half-awake, staring off into the dark corners of the room. I hated myself. Before this, when I had been out on my own, I hadn't had time to think about this. It had always been about surviving, getting through another day of little food, dirty water, and no rest. Now I could think, nestled up in that soft bed with warm covers without a worry; Except I didn't want to think, not now.

The sun eventually came up, and I had not stopped staring at the same dark corner. That was how Alfred found me. He knocked on the door smartly, before entering. I shifted my eyes up to look at him.

"Sleep well Miss?" He asked, going over to the window and opening the curtain all the way so my eyes were hit with the golden morning light. I didn't answer his question.

"Master Wayne went out early, so you will be having breakfast alone I'm afraid. It will be served in 20 minutes, just down the stairs and to the left," Alfred gave me a small bow, before turning and leaving the room, shutting the door with a snap.

I stretched, rubbing my eyes and sat up. I felt exhausted, two days of this relaxation made me cushy. One night of no sleep and I was already feeling it. I had gone longer with less sleep, walking and working instead to get where I had to. I could go a week without feeling like this before.

Now, as I stood up, I stumbled from sleepiness. I didn't even bother getting into the clothes Alfred brought me last night. I pushed my hair back off of my face, and opened the door. I sleepily wandered down the hall, down the stairs, to where Alfred had breakfast on the table; one plate for me. Breakfast smelled delicious, even better than what Bane had given me on the plane; light yellow eggs, crisp bacon and two slices of toast with a glass of juice on the side. Once again, I realized how out of my comfort zone I was. Breakfast was on a white plate, lined with what looked like gold and the orange juice was in a crystal glass with a stem.

"I hope breakfast is to your satisfaction Miss," Alfred said, as I sat down at the table.

"Thank you, Alfred," I said quietly, picking up the silver fork and poking at my eggs with it. I didn't feel hungry. I stared at the food on my plate, but all I saw was the man from my nightmare.

"Is everything alright, Miss?" Alfred had been watching me.

"Yeah, sorry. I guess I'm not that hungry,"

"Missing home? I understand Miss. I haven't seen England in many years now. I've been working for the Wayne family for a long time, probably since before you were born unless you look very young for your age," I couldn't help but smile a little.

"I guess, this place is just so big and fancy compared to everywhere else I've been. I don't have a home to miss now, I just feel out of place here," I sighed, putting down my fork. No matter how much a poked and prodded my food, I wasn't getting any hungrier.

"Very well Miss. I'll just take that from you. If you get hungry, please do not hesitate to ask for something. Master Wayne should be home within the hour," Alfred took my still full plate and left the dining room, leaving me to think some more about stuff I didn't want to think about.

I didn't want to stay here any longer. I didn't want to live in the big fancy house of someone I didn't know. I couldn't sleep in a soft bed, eat well prepared food, and have a cushy lifestyle with some guy that just decided to take me home at 1 AM. I wasn't a charity case, and yet I realized that was how Bruce Wayne must view me. That being said, I wanted to go back to Bane. Yes, he did also (literally) pick me up and decide to take me home but I had been going to a place I would have done anything to avoid. I felt like, to Bane, I wasn't a charity case. There was something different. And, I realized, I missed him. How could I not miss a man who protected me from something so awful? Even if his girlfriend did make me feel very unwelcome.

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Authors Note: I'm so sorry! Things are getting crazy right now and I'm probably not going to be able to update as much as I had. I promise I love all you readers! I'm sorry this is a crappy chapter, but I had to get something out so you all wouldn't hate me. Next will be better (SPOILER she's gonna find Bane). Please stay with me for this, and I will update whenever I can. I love all of you xx PLEASE DON'T HATE MEE


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